This invention relates to spreaders for fluent material, and in particular, to such spreaders having a moisture barrier to prevent moisture from gaining entrance into the discharge openings and clog such openings as a consequence of the fluent material contained within the hopper absorbing the moisture.
Drop spreaders are used to broadcast fluent materials such as grass seed, fertilizer, and weed killer. Such spreaders are sometimes employed to broadcast the fluent material in locations having tall, wet grass. As the spreader moves relative to the underlying surface, the bottom wall of the spreader comes into contact with the wet grass. The moisture from the grass can gain entrance into the hopper through the discharge openings. Some of the fluent material, such as fertilizer, characteristically absorbs moisture. The wet fluent material is thicker and agglomerates into relatively large clumps which have a tendency to clog the discharge openings. Such clogging, increases the time and effort expended by the user in spreading the fluent material.
It is an object of this invention to provide a spreader which includes a moisture barrier for preventing moisture from gaining entrance into the hopper of a drop spreader and thus prevents the discharge opening of the drop spreader from becoming clogged due to agglomeration of the fluent material.